Page 51 of Ruthless

Gideon quickly scanned them, alarms ringing with every sentence. While it was true that there were no direct threats, the nuances were there. Any other time, he might suggest that they were too subtle to indicate danger, except for one very terrifying thread. It was recent and chilling in its simplicity.

“The princess is back.”

Gideon didn’t know what bothered him more. The fact that among the fifteen people who knew of Eve’s presence in the castle, someone had leaked the information. Or the response to the statement that the princess was back: a smiling devil emoji.

He recognized a threat when he saw it.

“What about Clement?” Gideon said. “He may no longer work here, but he knows you’re in residence since you got him fired.”

“He got himself fired, but that’s beside the point. I want you to go talk to him. See if you can get a read on him.”

So now he knew why she’d called him. She needed him to interview Clement. He told himself to be happy that she trusted him to help her and let it go. But damn, it was hard.

“I talked to Clement a few days ago.”

She frowned at the news. “Why?”

“Thought we needed to clear the air.” The conversation and the man’s smug attitude took on a different meaning now. “The way he was acting, I’d say he’s definitely involved.”

“Why? What did he say?”

“Mostly, it was his attitude. He’s always been cocky, but there was some smugness tagging along for the ride. I’ll take another go at him and see what I can find.”

He read through the messages again, then turned and gave her a grim look. What he was about to say would not go over well. “You need to leave.”

“What?” Her eyes went wide with shock. She shook her head emphatically. “No. I’m not leaving. My family is in danger.”

“The only person with any specific threat against them is you. There’s nothing to indicate anyone else is at risk.”

“The threat is implied to everyone in my family. There’s a spy within my father’s closest circle. That means someone knows the intimate details of where each member of my family is at all times. We’ve got to find out who it is before something happens.”

“Not arguing about that, but it doesn’t mean you need to stay here to do that. We can work on this from somewhere else.”

“You mean someplace safe.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Eve—”

“I’m not your job anymore, Gideon. Remember, my father fired you.”

“You think that’s the only reason I want to keep you safe? You think that’s the only reason I’ve watched your back for a decade? Because it was my job?”

She raised a challenging brow. “You tell me.”

Gideon shook his head. Even after he’d spilled his guts, she still doubted his motives.

“You want to play it that way? Then fine. But my number one priority is you, Eve. It always has been. It always will be.”

She had the grace to look slightly ashamed, but she wasn’t backing down from her position. “I’m still not leaving. This is my family, Gideon. If they’re in danger, I’m the best one to handle the threat.”

“I’m not denying your capability. Working from a safe location would not minimize your effectiveness, but it would lessen the threat to you.”

“Do you think my safety is my primary concern?”

“No, but it’s mine.”